Second Times-News / WPCM candidate forum Monday night

By Times-News

Published: Sunday, October 14, 2012 at 04:34 PM.

Paramount
Theater manager David Wright said candidates may bring campaign materials, which can be placed on tables provided by the theater. No campaign signs, stickers or literature may be placed on windows of the theater.

Tonight the Times-News and WPCM radio (920 AM) will play host for the second and last of two election forums featuring local races. Candidates for the North Carolina General Assembly will face questions first, followed by the six candidates running for the AlamanceCountyBoard of Commissioners at the Paramount Theater in downtown Burlington.

The forum starts at 7 p.m. Admission to the theater, located at 128 E. Front St., is free. The doors open at 6:30 p.m.

The format will be the same as the first candidate forum two weeks ago. Candidates will answer questions from moderator Byron Tucker, radio host for WPCM, which also plans to air the forum live. The Times-News will supply questions interspersed with written questions submitted by members of the audience.

“Two weeks ago we were overwhelmed with the number of questions we received from the audience, which was great,” said Times-News editor Madison Taylor. “But there were so many we were only able to get a handful to the candidates so we set aside a few more minutes for questions this week.”

Taylor reminded those who attend to write out their questions in advance, but there will be index cards on hand so people can write down their questions when they arrive at the theater.

“Members of the Times-News staff will be available to accept questions and give them to our moderator,” Taylor said.

Tucker said WPCM will air Monday’s forum live and looks forward to doing so after successfully broadcasting the first forum between candidates for register of deeds and board of education on Oct. 1.

“We had a lot of great comments,” Tucker said.

At 7 p.m. all the candidates for N.C. General Assembly will take the stage. They include: House District 63: DemocratPatty Philipps and Republican Steve Ross; House District 64: DemocratMorris McAdoo and Republican Dennis Riddell; and Senate District 24: Libertarian Brandon Black and Republican incumbent Sen.Rick Gunn. They will answer questions for about one hour.

After a five-minute break, the candidates for AlamanceCountyBoard of Commissioners will be in the spotlight. They are: Democrats Linda Massey, Eddie Boswell and Ann Vaughan and Republicans Tom Manning, Mark Hopp and David I. Smith. Massey, Boswell and Manning are incumbents. They will take questions for a little more than one hour.

Taylor anticipates a crowd for the second forum.

“The session on Oct. 1 had a small but engaged audience. I think the crowd size was impacted by a meeting of the countycommissioners the same night in which the Department of Justice issue regarding the sheriff was on the agenda,” Taylor said. “I expect a larger audience on Monday.”

Tucker said WPCM will post audio from the forum on its website, www.920wpcm.com and also make it available to post on www.thetimesnews.com. The Times-News will also produce video of the forum.

Paramount Theater manager David Wright said candidates may bring campaign materials, which can be placed on tables provided by the theater. No campaign signs, stickers or literature may be placed on windows of the theater.